Samsung recently sent out a press release announcing the upcoming BD-P1500, the company's fourth generation Blu-Ray player.

The blu ray player can play Blu-ray discs, DVDs or even CDs and can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions. In addition, there's also a new speaker system called the HT-AS720 5.1 to complement the player.

The unit is said to posses an HDMI 1.3 port with CEC, as well as a built-in Ethernet connection and USB input port for upgrading the system's firmware. The P1500 also has BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View and is BD Live Ready.

On the audio side, the unit has both coaxial and optical digital audio outputs and supports various Dolby Digital audio playback including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TruHD, and DTS-HD High resolution (available later this year via firmware update).

The HT-AS720 5.1, on the other hand, offers a fully powered subwoofer and six satellite speakers. All in all, it is said to provide 650W of total output power. A definite plus for those who really want in-your-face sound while watching their movies.

The BD-P1500 Blu-ray will be released this June for a yet undisclosed price point while the HT-AS720 5.1 speaker system is now available for US$ 549.